Improvement in machine for closing the seams of metallic vessels



E. rr. covnLLjor BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 94,947, dated September 21, 1869; medalla/Z September 1,0, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 4'IIN MACHINEl FOR CLOSING- THE SEAMS OF METALLIC-VESSELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, E. rifCovELL, of the city of Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings, and Stateof New Yorle'have invented a new and usef'ul Machine for Closing and Pressing the Scams oi` Metallic Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying draning, forming a partof this specification in which- `3, with the drop-plates elevated; y

Figure 5, a similar section in the line y y of 1i". 3,

illustrating the drop-plates down, and the seams of the machine closed thereby; i

Fignre', sheet 3, an elevation of the machine as constructed for closing the side seams of a rectangular can; Y

`Figure 7, a topA or plan view thereof, illustrating 4the max-ldrel when turned aside to receive the body ot' the can; and

Figure- S, a transverse section in the line s z of fig. (i.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of the figures. y

The nature of my invention consists in the combination ot' opposite suitably-formed compressingplates, with intermediate supporting-plates, or an intermediate mandrel, so as to compress and close the open .folds, seams, or joints ot' a sheet-metal can placed upon the mandrel, or between and over the edges of' the supportilig-plates.

One ofthe compressing-plates is so sustained as to serve as an anvil, and-the desired pressure is obtained by the movement ot' the opposite plate. '.Lhe supportingplates, or the mandrel, may be placed upon spring supports, so that when relieved from pressure they will rise and remain clear ot' the anvil-plates, to admit of a ready removal' ot' the metallic vessel, and the insertion of another.

Where the machine is coustructedto close seams upon the body of the can, the mandrel to support the body is so Apivotcd as that it may swing aside to re- -ceive or deliver the can.

An elast-ically yielding central support may be combined with the bed ot' the machine employed for closing the scams oftheheads ot' the can, to aitord intermediate support for the can between its ends whilst. inthe machine.

The invention is applicable, with but slight variations in the arrangement ot the parts ofthenlachines, in closing and tinishingthc joints or seams both upon Vthe sides or side edgesV of' any description of sheet- `metal vessel, before the ends or heads are secured thereto, and at the ends or heads of such as are made with projecting joints.

In Ithe accompanying drawing` A represents the solid bed-plate of my machines.

Upon this bed-plate are secured fixed anvilplates, B 13,1%'. 1, and C, tig. 6, against which the open joint-s ofthe seams are forced or compressed on one side.

Corresponding drop or compressing-plates, I) D, iig. 1, and E, iig, 6, to bear down, compress, and close the open joints of the seams, are secured to guideplates, F F, tig. '1, and G Gr, tio'. (i, sliding vertically between or upon ways'in or on standards, H 1l, and H H', projecting from the bedplate A, close to the transverse anvil-plates B B, (see iig. 1,) on the outsidethereof, or at the ends ot' the lrmgitudinal anvilplatel (ld (See fig. 6.)

These anvil and drop plates are so notched or grooved as to embrace and tit closely and accurately upon the seams or joints along the entire extent thereot', so to bear evenly upon every point ofthe joint conformably thereto.

.The guide-plates F F and G G are, in each machine, united by or secured toa bent or curved connecting and lift-bar, I, whereby 'they are connected to any suitable form ot drop-press.

In the machine illustrated in tio'. 1, for closing 'the end or head seamsl or joints ofmetallie cans, secondary guide-plates, ff, corresponding inV general form and proportions to the drop guide-plates F F, are fitted between the vertical standards H. H, to move lin -or upon ways thereon, and 'made to rest upon central intermediate standar-dalt It, whose upper ends pass into recesses in said plat-es, and bear against spiral springs, 'i t, tig.. 1, (see red lines,) therein. l

These secondary guide-plates j' f carry rectangular supporting-plates, L' L, having project-ing rims, a u, so made as t-o tit closely under the projecting-told b forming the joint of the heads of the can with the body thereof. (See iig. 2.) v l One ot' these supporting-plates L is fastened rigidly to its guide-plate over one 'of the anvil-plates, B. vThe other, L, is held in place horizontallybymeans of rods or pins, s s s, projecting therefrom, which pass through the opposite guidefplate in such manner as to allow a horizontal movement of the plate Lto and from its guide-plate.

The movement may be obtained by means of any suitable mechanical dcvice'applicd to the central rod or pin s', such as a lever and treadle, a toggle-joint lever, a suitablyarrauged cani, Sac., or simply and directly by a button to be worked by hand, as illust 'ated in tig. 3 ofthe d 'awings A spring, c, interposed between the supporting and guide-plate serves to keep the former pushed forward to the plane of thc anvil-plate at that end ofthe machine when not drawn back by the operator.

' An auxiliary central support, M, may be placed midway between the supporting end-plates LL, upon the bed-plate A, to snsta-in the can centrally.

This central support M is secured to a rod, d, passing down into a recess in the bedplate, and resting therein ou a coiled spring,fas illustrated in red lines, fig. 3, so that it shall aii'ord an elastieally yielding support coinciding with that of the supporting-plates L L.

In operating the machine for closing the end seams' of cans, (see iig. 1,) the drop-plates D D are iirst ele*- vated by the machinery of the drop-press connected with thelift-har I.

The,supporting-plates L' L, relieved from the pressure of the drop-plates D D, will be forced upward by their springs, 'i fi, clear of the anvil-plates B B, to permit a ready adjustment of the unfinished can, W, iig. -2, in place thereon. (See figs. l, 3, and 4.)

To make this adjustment, the movable suppcrting plate L is withdrawn horizontally by means of a treadle actuating the rod s', or by any other suitable means, snliiciently far to admit one head or end, c, of the cam NV, 2, to be placed against the fixed supporting-plate L', which, being done, the movable plate L is allowed to spring back against the opposi'tehead of the can, thereby'supporting it ready for the action of the press.

The drop-platcs D I) are then made to fall with heavy weight, and striking the uppermost seams at the edges ofthe can, will press and close them down tightly, and at the same time force down the lower seams against and upon the anvil-plates B B, so as, in like manner, to press and close these also.

The joints being thus closed and finished, the dropplates are elevated; the springs of the supporting-` plates will then lift th'cin, and the attached can, clear ofthe anvil-plates, so that, by withdrawing` the movable supporting-,plate the iinished can may be readily removed and replaced by another. p

The machine illustrated in figs. 6, 7, and 8 ditl'ers from that illustrated in l, in that the drop and anvil-plates extend longitudinally over and upon the bed-plate, instead of transversely, so as to bear4 longitudinally upon a can placed between them; and a pivoted mandrel, P, is substituted for the supportingplates L' L of the liearl-1nac11ine.

This mandrel P is of the same form, externally, as the body of the can to be operated upon, (either cylindrical, elliptical, or square, CYP., and is secured at one end to a tubular support, R, fitting over, and roceiw'ng the end of a standard, T, se as to swing horizontally thereon.

A handle, V, is fitted to the other end of thc mandrel, and a rest or fork upon the end of a second tubular support, t', fitting over a standard, 1", is provided to receive and support this handle V, and consequently -uphold that end ol' thc mandrel when it is in position to receive the blow of the drop-plate, as illus trated in figs. l and 8.

Spiral springs, t t, are placedabout the standards l T, upon which the tubular supports It R rest. 'lhesc springs serve to bear np the mandrel when relieved from pressure above and clear of the anvil-plate A below.

The drop-plate E is made to slide freely in or upon ways between upright standards, H' H', and is provided with a lii`t-bar, I, to connect it with a suitable drop-press.

The drop and anvilplates are grooved longitudinally to lit over, and embrace closely the seams or joints in the body ofthe can to be opera-ted upon, and are properly shaped to tit the form of scalato be closed, whether it be at the angle of a can, as seen at figs. (i, 7, and S, or upon the side of a cylindricallY elliptical, or flat-sided can.

rIhe operation of this machine is similar to that of the machine illustrated in lig. l, for closing the end joint-s of cans.

.The body of the can, without its heads, is `slipped over, and upon the mandrel I, which is swung ont upon its pivot, forthe purpose as illustrated in Iiig. 7; The mandrel is then swung back in line between the drop and anvil-plates, and its handle, V, pla-ced upon the support R'.

and close down the edges thereof.

lVhere there are four seams ou the body of the can, the mandrel may be provided with a joint at its pivotend, to permit a semi-revolution thereof on its axis, and when -two of the seams have been closed, as described,.the other two may be brought in place to be also closed, by a partial revolution of the mandrel, without removing the body of the can therefrom.

The mandrel l, or the supporting-plates L L', and the anvil and drop-plates may all be so secured as to admit of being detached and replaced by other forms or sizes thercoi', to 'work upon various forms and sizes of cans with the same machine. I contemplate' the use of' `the machines in folding and closing all manner of seams in metallic vessels, and upon round, flaring1 or straight edges.

It is evident that the machines may be arranged in such manner as the compressing-plates shall move and close upon'the seams ot' the can or other vessel horizontally instead of vertically; that both the anvil and drop-platesmay be made movable instead of the drinn-plates alone, and that any suitable means parting from my invention, and I contemplate all such variations in the arrangement and operation of my machines, andof the devices therein made usel of.

Having th'us fully described my invention,

I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. One or more movable or stationary, notched or grooved anvil or bed-plates, in combinationA with one or more opposite and correspondingly-notched or .or movable supportilng-plates7 or mandrel, *when said compressing anvil and dropplates are arranged in pairs to meet, embrace, and ,close upon opposite` points on the sides, or upon the edges or angles ot' arlnetallic vessel sustained by said intermediate supporting-plates or mandrel, so as to compress and close the seams of the vessel, all substantially as herein described. ,l

2. In combination with compressing anvil and dropplatcs, arranged and operating to close the joints at the ends of a metallic vessel, an elastically yielding, grooved, or notched central supporting-plate, M, substantially as herein described.

3. In combination with compressing anvil and dropplates, opera-ting substantially as herein deelastically.-yielding vsustaining or supporting-plates, L L', arranged at right angles thereto, to. receive and support the projecting edges ofthe joints at thev ends of the vessel, and to be removed therefrom at pleasure, substantially in'the manner herein set forth.

4. In combination withA anvil and drow-.plates operating to close the side seams or seam of a metallic The drop-plate E is then allowed to fall upon the can, and striking its open joint, will press ot'obtaiuing pressure may be employed without de' grooved drop-plates;7 and with intermediate fixed' scribed, to close the end joints otr'y metallic vessels,'

vessel, .substantialllyV as herein deseril`1ed,1fa.central,l

The foregoing*speciczntion of my improved appara,

tusfbr pres'slng anll nshnglthe seams of metallic vessels, sighed by me, thisY 1st day ofFebI-um'y, 1869. E. rl. GOVELL.

' "Witnesses:

GEORGE L. DOTEN, :JAMES NADDY. 

